Various methods and compositions have been proposed for modifying textiles and other fibrous materials to impart oil repellency and/or water repellency. Though a variety of preparations are available, problems with the preparations exist. Some preparations utilize lamination processes to adhere a layer of polymeric material with micropores to a substrate. Such processes require specialized equipment and can be quite expensive to apply. Other processes apply a fluid with a known copolymer to impart repellency properties to a treated fibrous material. Unfortunately, some of these polymer compositions react with fibrous substrates to produce undesirable products such as formaldehyde, leading to environmental and health concerns. Other compositions may react with the fibrous material, resulting in discoloring or degradation in material properties. Still other techniques rely upon compositions that include a fluorocarbon component (e.g., a fluoropolymer) that can aid in imparting repellency properties. Potential concerns regarding the disposition of fluorine in the environment, and its potential effects, have grown in recent years. As a result, the use of fluorocarbon-containing compositions have fallen out of favor with some consumers. Furthermore, some compositions can have a limited lifetime, resulting in a treated fabric loses its augmented repellency properties after a period of use. In such instances, the time and expense of reapplying some existing compositions to retreat the textile can be burdensome if the composition is expensive or requires special conditions or equipment for application.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved methods and compositions that can modify textiles and other fibrous materials and substrates to impart water repellency and/or oil repellency.